Barcelona 2-3 Athletic Bilbao: First Red Card Of Barcelona

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The Argentine had played more than 750 games for the club before he was finally dismissed – but it’s not the first red card of his career
Lionel Messi was shown the first red card of his Barcelona career after he lashed out at the end of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Athletic Club in extra time.

Near the end of the Spanish Super Cup final, Messi played a pass and took a swing at Asier Villalibre as the Athletic forward ran across his path.

The referee missed the incident at first but upon a VAR review, he showed Messi a straight red card for violent conduct.

FIRST HALF

Athletic had the better of a quiet first half and had the first clear chance when Marc-Andre ter Stegen was forced to tip over a shot from Capa from just inside the penalty area.

Lionel Messi fired an effort over the crossbar at the other end before the first half finally sparked into life as half-time approached.

Griezmann opened the scoring for Barca in the 40th minute after Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi had opened up Athletic. The ball broke kindly to the Frenchman to stroke home from close range and beat Unai Simon.

Yet Barca’s lead lasted less than two minutes. Athletic hit straight back through Oscar De Marcos who nipped in between Alba and Clement Lenglet and clipped the ball over Ter Stegen.

SECOND HALF

Barca suffered a scare in the second half when Raul Garcia looked to have headed Athletic in front from a free-kick in from the left. Fortunately for Barca the goal was chalked off for a tight offside after a VAR check.

Athletic continued to see plenty of the ball and wasted another great chance when Inaki Williams blazed wide after Ronald Araujo’s clearance fell straight to the striker in the penalty area.

Barca had few sights of goal but did go ahead for the second time on 77 minutes. A great move down the left saw Alba cross for Griezmann to sweep home his second of the night.

The goal looked to be enough for victory but Athletic hit back in the 89th minute when Iker Muniain drifted a free-kick into the box for an unmarked Asier Villalibre to head home and force extra-time.

Marcelino’s side then took the lead for the first time in the match three minutes later. Inaki Williams was given time and space to curl a brilliant strike into the top corner from 25 yards out.

Koeman responded by sending on Riqui Puig for the first period of extra-time, while Francisco Trincao arrived in place of Clement Lenglet for the final 15 minutes as Barca went in search of an equalizer.

Barca did have chances to pull one back too. Nunez almost put a Messi free-kick into his own goal, while Griezmann volleyed an Alba cross wide of the target.

Yet Barca couldn’t find another goal and their misery was compounded late on when Messi saw red after lashing out at Villalibre in the final minutes of the game.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Dest (Mingueza), Araujo, Lenglet (Trincao), Alba; De Jong, Busquets (Puig), Pedri (Pjanic); Dembélé (Braithwaite), Messi, Griezmann

Goals: Griezmann 40’, 77’

Athletic: Simón; Capa (Berenguer), Yeray, Martínez, Balenziaga (Lekue); De Marcos, D. García, Vencedor, Muniain; R. García (Villalibre), Williams (Morcillo).

Goals: De Marcos 42’, Villalibre 89’, Williams 93’